Teen who sexted nude pix of boyfriend’s ex faces porn charges

If there is an ancient moral to this story, it is not to act out of spite. There’s also a twenty-first-century moral, and it relates to storing intimate photos, and especially “selfies,” on electronic devices, a practice that has proven to be the bane of countless cell phone and computer owners.

CBC News has the sordid account of a 17-year-old from Victoria, B.C., who texted salacious photos of her boyfriend’s ex. The acts stemmed from jealousy, according to statements made during the one-day trial.

The girl, who was 16 at the time of the offense, allegedly sent nude pictures of her boyfriend’s former sweetheart to a friend and posted one to the victim’s Facebook page in an effort to humiliate her and prevent the flames of the old romance from being rekindled.

The teen, whose name is being withheld because she is a minor, was convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography, a first in the annals of Canadian jurisprudence. She was also convicted of threatening to “stomp” the other girl.

Christopher Mackie, the lawyer for the teen, said the charge did not fit the crime:

These child pornography laws were intended to protect children, not to persecute them, and again it seems the criminal justice system, it’s a heavy hammer to be using.

The prosecutor, Chandra Fisher, admitted the case is unusual and possibly precedent-setting, telling reporters, “I’ve had a quick look already and nothing I’ve found quite fits.”

Howard Portnoy has written for The Blaze, HotAir, NewsBusters, Weasel Zippers, Conservative Firing Line, RedCounty, and New York’s Daily News. He has one published novel, Hot Rain, (G. P. Putnam’s Sons), and has been a guest on Radio Vice Online with Jim Vicevich, The Alana Burke Show, Smart Life with Dr. Gina, and The George Espenlaub Show.

Commenting Policy

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse. Read more.